ios7 activation lock,previous owner,apple id,

check that out how many iphones were reported stolen only today and only on Apple discussions :

https://discussions.apple.com/search.jspa?resultTypes=&dateRange=yesterday&peopl eEnabled=true&q=stolen&containerType=&container=&containerName=&username=&rankBy =relevance&numResults=15

If you have been following the thread, you can see that people have gone and nothing has been done for them. One quick question, in all you have read, have you seen anyone give a testimony that they were helped?

matthewfromrivers wrote:

If you have been following the thread, you can see that people have gone and nothing has been done for them. One quick question, in all you have read, have you seen anyone give a testimony that they were helped?

Yes.

NSolinger

I just went through a few layers of support but was able to get a resolution. You will need to do the following:

1. Speak with a Senior Advisor/Supervisor

2. Have proof of ownership that you can provide to the rep. I had the original Apple Store receipt pdf, phone serial #, AT&T bill showing the phone was being billed to me, credit card receipt info.

3. They can enter the info into some system to create a case for purchase/ownership verification.

4. You get a case number and email address to provide your documentation of ownership too. They claim that in 2 business days or less from receiving your valid proof of ownership, they will allow the phone to be activated.

Apple finally ate my phone. 😟

You know I just now almost bought a used iphone on eBay boy am I glad I caught this thread.

Now that I have thought about this issue I am not sure how I feel. If you got the phone from a carrier cheaper because there was a contract and then fulfilled that contract, it is your phone to sell, right? So if you sell it the person who buys it has the right to use it.

I have never had an iphone now maybe I don't want one!

But wait....if the phone is clean with the carrier and then stolen you as the one it was stolen from have no recourse except the knowledge that no one will be able to use it because of the ID lock.

So maybe I do want an iphone....

The one thing I can see here, as I follow this thread, is that it is buyer beware. Especially on eBay or Craigslist where you may have no recourse. Cause if you go to update the software a month or a year later and you are locked out you are locked out...

Folks are so inundated with so many passwords and log ons but maybe it is your responsibility to write stuff down and put it a safe place...but if Apple snuck in the provision of ID lock and people did not realize that by doing a software upgrade on their newly bought second hand phone they will not own a paperweight, and the sell did not know or did not care....

At least if you buy it on eBay there is recourse...a private sale good luck...

Or you can just buy from Apple and feel safe. You will get full warranty, no defects of any kind and no headache. When you buy iphone second hand you always want to erase data if previous owner didn't. You will see if iphone is locked right at that point.

In an ideal world I would agree with you, but in the real world where peer pressure is a major factor to families with children it is not always possible to afford new ones. I would also re iterate that icloud came out 2 years ago. How many people remember the password or even email used to set it up. (especially when your device didn't recognise your email address and you had to set one up with Apple).

I think this Activation lock, although a good idea was implemented without any thought for people who have bought their phones second hand. When all said and done, Apple have made legitamate iphones unuesable at the new owners expense. have they actually got the right to do this. Once sold it is no longer their property and although they have rights to the software they do not have the right to make a phone unuesable.

Just my opinion

As a follow on, owners of the phone should get the option whether to turn on the activation lock or not, not make it active with the latest software update. That way none of these problems would have arisen.

For additional security, any iphone that is reported lost or stolen in the UK is registered with Checkmend by the airtime providers. that way it is switched off and cannot be used.

cubfanal wrote:

You know I just now almost bought a used iphone on eBay boy am I glad I caught this thread.

Now that I have thought about this issue I am not sure how I feel. If you got the phone from a carrier cheaper because there was a contract and then fulfilled that contract, it is your phone to sell, right? So if you sell it the person who buys it has the right to use it.

I have never had an iphone now maybe I don't want one!

But wait....if the phone is clean with the carrier and then stolen you as the one it was stolen from have no recourse except the knowledge that no one will be able to use it because of the ID lock.

So maybe I do want an iphone....

The one thing I can see here, as I follow this thread, is that it is buyer beware. Especially on eBay or Craigslist where you may have no recourse. Cause if you go to update the software a month or a year later and you are locked out you are locked out...

Folks are so inundated with so many passwords and log ons but maybe it is your responsibility to write stuff down and put it a safe place...but if Apple snuck in the provision of ID lock and people did not realize that by doing a software upgrade on their newly bought second hand phone they will not own a paperweight, and the sell did not know or did not care....

At least if you buy it on eBay there is recourse...a private sale good luck...

Anyone who does own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch does indeed have the right to sell it privately to whomever they want, whenever they want, how ever they want. Nothing about Activation Lock stops any owner from selling their device.

However, as a responsible seller, they need to:

1. disable find my iPhone in their iCloud account settings on their device

2. erase all content and settings (and thus, put the device back to an as-new, un-activated device)

Anyone selling their iOS device who does those two simple things will have be able to sell their device to anyone, and the buyer can readily activate and use the device without any issues at all.

The use of Activation Lock, its initial setup and its disablement is entirely within the control of the device owner.

As to the right of someone to use some piece of private property they bought, I know of no such enshrined legal right. If you buy from a trustworthy seller, who exercises their ethical responsibility in the sale of the item, and you should have no problem. However, private party sales of private property are a matter of items strictly "as is". You choose to buy what you wish to, but there is no guarantee at all with any such private exchange.

Ianmelia wrote:

In an ideal world I would agree with you,

I gave a way to find out if activation lock is enabled - erase iphone. If when you purchased your phone between two years ago and ios 7 update, you erased iphone you would not have that problem. Not erasing iphone, not only compromised your information that was showing up on your previous owner's account, but also compromised his/her account. Not knowing how to use/erase a device (under peer pressure or without one) caused your particular situation. In our non ideal world, would be better if you paid more for new device then less for brick, wouldn't it.

Please read the question...he has already stated he cannot get ahold of the person he bought it from. Your answer does not help a single thing.

thank you very much. People here are supplying a bunch of worthless answers and the guy clearly stated he couldn't get ahold of the person that sold it to him. There's a bunch of idiots here apparently they can't read and are simply copying and pasting from official Apple sites instead of providing useful information on how somebody that is legitimate might get around this. Thank you :-) at least you're one of the few that can read here and supplies some kind of knowledgeable comment.

Finally people with sympathy and common sense have spoken... I though this place was full of idiots until Faslane appeared... People have been giving stupid thoughtless comments. If you can't help people in need, why not shut up and move one with your life? Instead of castigating n making others feel worse than they already feel?

I am in the same boat. The iPad was actually working fine when I received it and I used it for a while. However when I went to reset it, it asked for the iCloud password which I didn't know. Not knowing they were going to star out his email address if I tried to put it into DFU mode and restore it, I didn't write the address down while I was in the OS using it. NOW I am stuck with a starred out email address with no way to contact him, and an iPad that's stuck on Activate iPad screen. Am I just out of luck? This is the most ridiculous thing ever. I understand it's there to prevent fraud, but it's really frustrating for the people that are not doing anything wrong. This is very frustrating.

Is there any way I can get the email address of the seller back? it even stars out in iTunes.

did u buy it ios 7 or ios 6 installed???????